Paint pail clamp



Feb. 2, 1960 G. A. SHOWERS PAINT PAIL CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 11, 1958 INVENTOR. GAu-H ASuowens 7; a MW ATTORNEYS ri l? II l Feb. 2, 1960 Filed April 11, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 46 INVENTOR.

EARTH A.SHOWEP S '28 BY WM W 'QMZM United States Patent EAINT PAIL CLANIP Garth A. Showers, Tannersville, N.Y. Application April 11, 1958, Serial No. 727,880 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-227) This invention relates to a new and improved clamp for suspending a paint pail or other type of container, from the side rail of a ladder or similar support.

Among important objects of the invention are the following:

To provide a paint pail support clamp or bracket adapted for use upon any of a large range of different types and sizes of ladders;

To promote reliability of holding power;

To support the pail with the top thereof fully exposed, in a manner such that the clamp does not interfere with movement of a paint brush into and out of a pail;

To permit the device to be clamped to the ladder at any location thereon, and to further permit the device to be adjusted along the side rail of the ladder without full detachment of the device from the ladder and without removal of the paint pail from its supported position;

To facilitate the removal of a paint pail and the replacement of the same by another pail, without disturbing the clamping engagement between the device and the ladder;

To support any of a large variety of pails, as long as said pails are of the type having bails;

To cause the device to be securely held in place, by an arrangement in which the device will automatically contract to clampably engageopposite faces of the side rail of a ladder, while at the same time tilting slightly under the weight of a supported object to bite into the remaining faces of the ladder;

To provide a device that will meet all the objects stated above while yet being capable of manufacture at a very low cost; and

To so form the paint pail support clamp as to provide a rugged device that will be efficient in operation, and will not get readily out of order, despite its comparatively low cost.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the device as it appears when in use applied to a ladder, only a portion of which is shown, a supported paint pail being illustrated fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is a view of the device in use, as it appears when seen from the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the device in use, as it appears when seen from the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view substantially on line 44 of Figure 1, the dotted lines showing a movable clamping jaw in the position to which it is shifted when the device is being applied to or removed from the ladder;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device per se, on a slightly enlarged scale;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device on the same 2 scale as Figure 5, showing the side opposite that seen in Figure 5; and g Figure 7 is a slightly reduced elevational view of the device supported upon a paint pail, said pail being illus- 5 trated fragmentarily.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the paint pail support clamp constituting the present invention has been generally designated at 10, and in Figures l-3 has been illustrated in its operative relation to a conventional ladder 12 and supported paint pail 14.

The device constituting the present invention includes a flat support plate 16 of generally rectangular configuration, said support plate being adapted, when the device is in use, to extend along the outer face 17a of a side rail 17 of the ladder 12. It will be understood that the ladder can be of various types, that shown being one of the most common types used by painters. As will appear hereinafter, the device has a slight tilting action that is particu larly effective in holding it in place.

In any event, base plate 16 is integrally formed, along one side edge thereof, with a fixed clamping jaw 18, which extends the full width of the base plate as shown in Figure 6, and which lies generally in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the base plate.

Jaw 18, along the edge thereof remote from the edge that is integrally connected to the base plate 16, is formed, medially between its opposite side edges, with an inwardly projection clamping tongue 20, adapted to engage the inner face 21 of the side rail 17 of the ladder 12, Figure 4,'

0 with the main portion of the jaw 18 being disposed in face-to-face contact with a side face 17b of the side rail 17 of the ladder 12.

The inner surface of the jaw 18 is knurled or otherwise roughened as at'22, over its full area, to increase the grip which the jaw has upon the side face 17b of the rail 17. The roughening 22 is continued along opposed edges of the base plate 16, as shown in Figure 6 at 24, thus to even further improve the grip of the device upon the outer face 17a of the side rail 17 of the ladder 12.

Plate 16 does not lie fiat against the face 17a. Rather, the device tilts slightly in a direction laterally outwardly of the ladder as shown in Figures 14. Therefore, only the roughened bottom edge 24 contacts the face 17a, biting thereinto under the weight of a supported object. The device in effect pivots on tongue 20 and on a lip 44 to be described. These have sharp corners causing the same to bite into the inner face 21 of the side rail. At the same time there is a firm clamping engagement against faces 17b, 17c cooperating with the tilting action.

Formed in the base plate 16, at the end thereof remote from the fixed clamping jaw 18, are parallel, relatively short slits 26 disposed adjacent the opposite side edges of the base plate. Slits 26 permit an abutment 28 to be bent out of the plane of the base plate, in a direction opposite to the direction in which the fixed jaw 18 extends from said plane. Abutment 28 lies transversely of the base plate, in a plane parallel to that of the fixed jaw.

Welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the outer surface of the fixed jaw 18, medially between the opposite side edges of the base projecting beyond the plane of the base plate 16 as at 32. Integrally formed upon opposite sides of the projecting portion 32 are oppositely but identically formed, hook-shaped finger grips 34, bent outwardly as shown to best advantage in Figures 1 and 5, so that one can engage, in the finger grips or holds 34, ones index and second fingers.

Between the finger holds 34, 7O provided-at its distal extremity with confronting, inwardly facing hooks 36, between which there is provided a tab 38. Hooks 36 are bent oppositely from the tab v38 as plate 16, is a, plate member 39,

the portion 32 is integrally 3 shown in Figures 4 and 7, for a purpose to be made presently apparent. 1

On the outside edges of the hooks 36 there are formed smalllugs40t' A movable jaw 42 is relatively narrow as shown in Figure 6, but is formed of stout, rigid bar material. Movable jaw 42 is in confronting relation to fixed jaw 18 and is adapted to engage the side, face 170 of the-side rail 17 of the ladder 12. The jaw 42 at one end has an inwardly directed lip or finger 44 in "opposed relation to finger 20, so as to also engage against the inner face 21 of the side rail 17 of the ladder 12, as previously described herein. 7 V, i j I The movable jaw 42, at the, end thereof remote from the lip 44, has an outwardly offset part merging into a straight guide bar or rod 46, slidably engaged in a transverse guide slot 47 formed in abutment 28. 'Circumposed about the rod 46 between abutment 28 and member 32 is a compression, coil spring 48, abutting atone end against abutment 28 and at its other .end against; a set collar 50 secured to the guide bar 46 at a selected 1oca-.

pf sizes.

ladders, regardless of the thickness or width of the side rail to which it is connected. This is due to the fact that the jaws can move toward or away from each other to such an extent as is necessary to accommodate side rail dimensions falling within a predetermined but wide range The device, further, does not interfere with movement of the paint brush into and out of the container, and firmly supports the suspended pail without danger of accidental detachment of the device from the ladder. i

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof detion along the length of the guide bar, for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the spring 48 The guide bar extends through a guide slot 5 1 formed in the projecting portion 32 of plate member 30, and exteriorly of the space between portion 32 and abutment 28, the guide bar 46 is secured to a knob 52 adapted to be depressed by the thumb of a hand the fingers of which are engaged in the grip :34. 7

It will thus be seen that assuming that one were to desire to apply the device to a side rail of a ladder at a selected location along the length of the latter, he would grasp the device in one hand, placing the, index finger and second finger in the respective hook-shaped finger rests or grips 34, and placing the thumb of the same hand against the button or knob 52 On-the exertion of pressure against the button 52 tending to shift the same from the full to the dotted line position of Figure 4, the movable jaw 42 will be moved away from the fixed jaw 18, as for example to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. When this happens, spring 48 will ,be placed under increased compression. Then, the deviceis positioned over the side rail, and button 52 is released. Spring 48 expands and causes the jaws .18, 42, to be moved relatively to each other in a direction to clampably engage respectively, the side faces 17b and 170 of the side rail 17 of the ladder 12. a

A paint pail 14, having a receptacle 54 and a gpivoted bail 56, may now be suspended from the device, with the bail being engaged with either one of the hooks 36.

One can adjust the device, with the paint pail supported therefrom, along the length of the ladder, by rocking the device out of a tilted position into alignment with the side. rail, and carefully moving jaw 42 away from its full line position of Figure 4, to a slight extent towards its dotted line position in the same figure. This would be done with the fingers in the rests 34 and the thumb against the button 52. The device is thus caused to relax its clamping engagement with the side rail, but at the same time, the fingers 2t 44 may remain in contact with the inner face of the side rail of the ladder. The device may now be carefully moved along the length of the ladder. On release of the button, the clamping engagement again is produced. One might even, in some circumstances, effect the adjustment by rocking .the device out of tilted position while leaving jaws 1'8 and 42 a in their clamping positions. V

The device can be supported directly upon the side of a paint pail when not in use, in the manner shown in Figure 7. In this instance, a paint pail 58 is shown, having the usual inwardly directed crimp'e'd flange 60. Tab 38 is disposed against the outer circumference or the flange and hooks 36 are disposed against the inner circumference, with lugs 40-bein'g disposed against the inside wall of the fiange in lthe manner shown in Figure 7.

scribed above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described,'since such construction is onlyintended to beillustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in.

construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims. a

What is claimed is: V

1. A paint pail support attachment for a ladder, comprising: a support plate; a fixed jaw thereon; spaced abutments on said plate; a movable jaw; a guide bar rigid with the movable jaw and slidably engaged in the abutments for movement toward and away from the fixed jaw; resilient, yielding means arranged to biasithe movable jaw towards the fixed jaw for clamping engagement of the side rail of a ladder between them; a hook on one of said abutments for suspending a paint pail therefrom; and a tab on said one abutment spaced closely from the hook and so positioned in respect to said hook and to the other abutment as to cause the hook and 'tab to embrace a rim of a paint pail, with the other abutment engaged against the side wall of a paint pail downwardly from the hook and tab, when the attachment is not in use.

2. A clamp for suspending a paint pail from a side rail of a ladder, comprising: a support plate; a fixed jaw rigid therewith; a movable jaw spaced from the fixed jaw, said jaws being disposed in confronting relation for engagement of a ladder side rail therebetween; an elongated guide bar spaced outwardly from the support and formed to awidth substantially less than that of the plate, said bar being rigid at one end with the movable jaw; a pair of abutments rigid with and projecting outwardly from the support plate, said abutments being formed as flat members lying in planes disposed transversely of the guide bar,.each of said abutments projecting laterally outwardly beyond the respective sides of the guide bar and being formed with guide slots shaped cor.- respondingly to the cross sectional configuration of the guide bar, the bar being slidably engaged in the respective slots; a collar on the bar located between said abutments; and a compression coil spring circumposed about the bar and interposed between the collar and one of the abutments, said spring being stressed to bias the jaws to- I ward each other; apair of finger grips having a fixed connection to the support plate and disposed at opposite sides of the bar at theother end of the bar, said other end of the bar having a rest positioned for receiving the thumb of ones hand when the index and second fingers of the hand are engaged withsaid grip, said support plate and abutments cooperating to define a frame; and means on said frame for suspending a paint pail therefrom.

3. A 'clamp as in claim 2, wherein said pail-suspending means comprises a pair of opposite but identical hooks aligned transversely of the guide bar inYclosely spaced, confronting "relation and'openi-ng toward each other,

whereby on disposition of the clamp in engagement with References Cited in the file of this patent one side rail of a ladeler one of the hooks will be posi- UNITED STATES PATENTS tioned to recelve a ball of a paint pail suspended therefrom, and on disposition of the clamp in engagement 1,884,370 Swanson 25, 1932 With the opposite side rail of a ladder, the other hook 5 215461757 Kfafup Mali 1951 will be Similarly positioned to receive said bail. 2,634,937 Welsh P 14, 1953 

